The Wescott Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Edwards was recently interviewed regarding his battle with pancreatic cancer. SDA appreciates Chief Edwards continued service to his district, and his community, despite facing a tough personal battle.  To see the media report on Chief Edwards, please click HERE.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission has released their 2009-2010 Annual Report. To see a copy of that report please click HERE.

The Arvada Fire Protection District has been selected as a finalist for the Pepsi Refresh Grant for the month of June.

Arvada Fire could receive $50,000 to turn a vacant fire station into a Fire & Life Safety Education Center.  The money would allow Arvada Fire to transform the interior of the building and to build the simulators that would be necessary to allow for true “hands-on” learning.  The maintenance and the staffing of the Education Center would be financially maintained by Arvada Fire.

Lakewood, CO, – USDA Rural Development is seeking applications to increase the production and use of renewable energy from farmers, agricultural producers and owners of rural small businesses to purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements.

Due to term limits there will be three board seats open on the SDA Board. As the Association moves through the year of important legislation, economic challenges and opportunities to provide, service and benefit to Colorado I encourage any special district board member to throw their hat in the ring to be a part of this vital and dynamic board. The Board meets five times a year at the SDA offices and are a large part of the SDA Annual Conferences. The Board is divided by geographical regions and no more than 2 members from a certain type of district to insure equal representation.

The Lower Fountain Metropolitan Sewer Disposal District (LFMSDD) held a groundbreaking ceremony earlier this month for the Harold D. Thompson Regional Water Reclamation Facility. The Facility will serve the Jimmy Camp Creek basin, and has an ultimate build out treatment capacity of 6.0 million gallons per day (Mgd).  The building is named in honor of SDA Board Member Harold D. Thompson, who was a founding member of the LFMSDD Board.

We have just learned that the Senate is planning to vote on mandatory collective bargaining as early as this week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is attempting to add S. 3194 to the supplemental appropriations legislation H.R. 4899. IPMA-HR is opposed to the Public Safety Employer Employee Cooperation Act because it gives the federal government a significant role in state and local public safety collective bargaining. States and localities are free to choose whether or not to engage in collective bargaining and many already have.

In the Denver Post this morning, found HERE, Governor Ritter pledged his support of the campaign against Amendment 60, 61 and Prop 101, which will appear on the ballot this November. Ritter told the paper, “They are devastating to the state economy.” According the Post, the Governor will also voice his opposition of the ballot measures during every public speaking engagement from now until November.

Many districts are interested in updating their Transparency Notice on the SDA website to reflect the names of the new board members following the recent special district regular elections on May 4, 2010.

At the time that you initially posted your notice, the board elections were on the horizon, and it made sense to provide electors with details such as the name and address of the DEO and where electors could obtain and submit self-nomination forms.

The law firm of Ireland Stapleton Pryor & Pascoe is offering three free workshops for Colorado volunteer and combination fire departments. The workshops will be held in Steamboat Springs, Alamosa and Woodland Park and will focus on the following issues: